Policy Proposal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Policy Proposal - Research Paper Example It shall discuss the oil supply issue and its impact on the American society and politics. It shall also describe specific solutions to this issue and how such solutions can contribute to the American economy in general. This paper is being conducted in order to establish a clear and comprehensive discussion on the subject matter. Discussion 1. What is the problem? According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2010, the US consumed about 19 million barrels of petroleum products per day; such consumption makes the US consistently the largest petroleum consumer in the world. It was ranked third in terms of crude oil production; however, crude oil is not the sole source of US petroleum supplies (EIA). Much gain was seen with the increase in crude oil production because crude oil has been known to expand during the refining process. Liquid fuel has also been seen from natural gases, and other sources, including biofuels (EIA). These represent additional supplies in petr oleum products for the US. Still, in 2010, the US had to import about 11.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and other petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, chemical feedstocks, asphalt, and similar products (EIA). Based on the EIA report, about half (49%) of the US oil imports come from the Western hemisphere and about 18% of these imports come from the Persian Gulf, specifically the countries of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The largest source of crude oil and petroleum products are Canada, Nigeria, Venezuela, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia (EIA). The EIA also reports that since 2005, the US reliance on foreign sources of petroleum products have decreased. This decline is seemingly attributed to the economic crisis experienced by the US and the global community in general, as well as changes in consumer behavior, and increase in the use of domestic sources of oil like biofuels and natural gas plant liquids (EIA). In a discussion by Lefton and Weiss, they set forth that the increase in oil imports increased the gap between the US imports and exports. They pointed out that the US is allocating about $1 billion a day in its foreign oil investments; investments which could have been better spent on domestic sources. Moreover, burning oil has contributed to the exacerbation of global warming, representing more dire threats on our national security (Lefton and Weiss). Their analysis also sets forth that the US has relied on imported oil from countries which are on the State Department’s Travel Warning list, including Algeria, Chad, Colombia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, among others (Lefton and Weiss). This is unfortunate because the country’s reliance on oil imports from these countries have serious implication on national security, economy, and environment (Lefton and Weiss). The US imports about 4 million barrels of oil per day from these unstable countries , incurring a cost of approximately $150 billion (Lefton and Weiss). Since the US is considered the highest consumer of oil, it contributes significantly to the worldwide overall demand for the product. In effect, its demand plays a major part on the oil prices in the market. This high demand makes the country vulnerable to the whims of oil-producing nations. Moreover, this high demand which impacts on oil process benefits oil-producing countries which do not sell oil to the US, as in the case of Iran which does not trade

Employment Law Compliance (Principles and Strategies) Essay

Employment Law Compliance (Principles and Strategies) - Essay Example The business management principles are considered to be the central operation of business. Planning involves determining what the appropriate objectives for the business are and how those objectives are going to be accomplished. It is necessary to organize the structure of the resources and activities of the business, so that the objectives are accomplished. Staffing involves hiring the right people to do the activities of the business, training them to do the job and rewarding them appropriately. Directing is leadership, motivating the employees to achieve the business objectives. Controlling is the process of evaluation and correction that is needed to make certain that the business stay on track towards its goals. Planning and controlling are closely linked since planning sets the goals and standards for performance. Mr. Stonefield is planning to open a Limousine Service in Austin, Texas with twenty-five employees’ the first year with the intent of hiring more employees when the business generate profitable revenues. The Limousine Service will operate around the metropolitan area of Texas. This memo outlines on identifying applicable laws as well as the consequences of noncompliance with these laws. Included are The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Family and the Medical Leave Act of 1993, The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1986, and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Mr. Stonefield should consider a Long-term Strategic (Business Plan) that should influence the design of benefits within the Limousine Service, the Stage of Development to include the projected rate of employment growth for the geographic deployment within Austin, Texas area that is profitability. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1986 companies with at least twenty employees must make medical coverage available at group insurance rates (100% premium plus a 2%